A New AdVenture

If you are a follower, then you know I love to travel and have had the privilege of visiting Europe and Asia several times in the past 10 years. Traditionally, I jet-set with Stan - my neighbor, my friend, the perfect travel companion, and part of a very tight inner circle of friends who are a blessing straight from Heaven.

This time however, we are embarking on a new venture which is sure to be an adventure.

You see, this year [2018] introduced a lot of unexpected (aren't they always?) shifts, challenges and upgrades in my life - both personally and professionally.  I suddenly found myself standing in front of a closed door and for several months I was unsure what was next for me. After a lot of prayer, journaling, counseling, and encouragement from friends, I realized the closed door was simply a re-direct and I was in the enviable position of having several exciting opportunities before me.

Because, yeah, that's how God rolls. 

Deciding to expand on some of the things I love to do, I started a new venture called "Elegant Occasions by H. A. Schiavone". I’ll share more on my vision for this business in upcoming blogs, but for the purpose at hand, my first travel excursion is happening right now!

Nothing like jumping in with both feet!

So What Happened Was . . .

It all started with Nino DiGiulio and Dawn Lara. They own "May I Have This Dance" dance studio in Chicago and I had the privilege of meeting and working with them at a few events in Palm Springs. They greatly impressed me with their professionalism, talent and warmth, so when they announced they were putting together a Mediterranean Dance Cruise in June, I jumped on board. Nino graciously allowed me to invite our west coast dance family to join theirs and now, 99 U.S. dancers are all heading to Rome where our cruise begins and ends! Sweeeeet!  We'll be making stops in Rome, Florence, Cannes, Palma de Majora, Barcelona, and Naples.

That's when I had a bright idea.

Since I love Italy so much, I thought it would be fun to invite my friends to tour Italy with me for 12 days BEFORE the cruise. I'm calling it the Italy EXPANDED Tour and we will be visiting Milan, Lake Como / Bellagio, Venice, Florence, Siena and ending in Rome where we will join Nino and our east coast dance family for the cruise. Our group is so excited! That tour starts Saturday, June 9, 2018.

To kick things off, Stan and I flew to Munich for some much needed R&R before the tour starts. That is where I am today as I write this post.

Our flight was great. Between Stan's miles which enable us to travel first / business class, and the airline's impeccable service, there is nothing to do but enjoy.

Since life has been so hectic lately, our plan for the next few days is to rest, eat and mosey around at our leisure. It happens to be raining at the moment and I feel content and happy listening to the thunder and soothing sound of the rain against my window. 

So there you go . . .

More soon.